DSS Urges Death Sentence for Five Suspects in Owo Church Attack

The Department of State Services has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to impose the death penalty on five men accused of the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State. In his final submission, the DSS’s lead counsel argued that the gravity of the crime warrants the maximum sentence. The defence lawyer countered that the prosecution failed to prove its case and urged the court to discharge and acquit the suspects. Justice Emeka Nwite reserved judgment after both sides adopted their written addresses. Parties have been told they will receive notice of the verdict—possibly within 24 hours. Forty-one worshippers were killed and over 140 injured. Eleven witnesses testified during the trial, which began on August 1, and the court admitted the suspects’ confessional statements after a trial-within-trial.

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